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Jose Mourinho says that he would have left Real Madrid if he had faced the same racist abuse as Vinicius Junior, while lauding the Brazilian’s resilience and loyalty to the club.
Vinicius Junior (Reuters Photo)
Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has said that Vinicius Junior is a ‘spectacular’ kid who is very easy-going and he is surprised that the latter stayed at the Spanish club, despite being subject to intense and repeated racist attacks.
Vinicius was sent off for pulling an opponent’s hair during Real Madrid’s victory over Villarreal last weekend and handed a four-match suspension. As a result, he will miss the Clasico against Barcelona on Sunday, October 25.
Since joining Real Madrid in 2018, Vinicius, 26, has been targeted by opposition fans and subjected to racial abuse on numerous occasions.
“He is a spectacular kid who it is easy to have a good relationship with. He is a fantastic boy, tremendous credit to him for the fact that he keeps living and surviving and still having a smile,” Mourinho said while speaking to the media.
“If it were me in his place, probably I would not be here. This last summer, I would have forced an exit to a league, a country, to somewhere some rival clubs and stadiums respect him,” Mourinho added.
Vinicius signed a new contract with Real Madrid in the summer, extending his stay at the club until 2032. But questions remain over whether Madrid can accommodate attacking stars Vinicius, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham in the same line-up without compromising the team’s balance.
“Because he loves Real Madrid, for loving the club and the city, for believing that things can always improve, he renewed and he keeps on smiling. No one or nobody can… well, influence him negatively, yes, because he is human… but take away his joy of living and working and being with his teammates- no, no one can do that,” Mourinho said.
The coach substituted Vinicius during Real Madrid’s 4-3 Champions League victory over Roma on Wednesday, as the winger continues to struggle to rediscover the form that saw him lift the trophy twice under Carlo Ancelotti.
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Ask News18Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho admitted he was surprised Vinicius chose to remain with the Spanish club because the winger has been targeted by intense and repeated racist attacks from opposition fans since joining in 2018.
Ask News18October 17, 2026, 5:41 PM IST
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